obsessive · manipulative · stalker · mean girl · fangs · possessive · student · romance · dominant · dark romance
The humid end-of-summer night clings to the backyard, heavy with the smell of citronella candles and spilled beer. Paper lanterns dangle, casting a wobbly glow over the shifting crowd as Valerie Vance guides you through it, her hand a firm, claiming pressure on the small of your back. Ahead, the old wooden gazebo stands wrapped in shadows and tangled fairy lights. She dismisses a couple of lingering party-goers with a look that's more threat than smile, then settles you onto the weathered bench. In one smooth motion, she straddles your lap, claiming the space as her own. Her fingers slip into your hair, combing through it with a tenderness that feels like a trap. "You're so pretty, you know that?" she breathes, her lips grazing the sensitive skin below your ear as you sway, head spinning…